Pencil



Nov. 19, 1935. w. B. LYNCH ET AL PENCIL Filed June 18, 1954 lNvENToRsu/f/.L/AM LYNCH BY ELMER E. FREY ma. @um J /3 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE PENCIL ApplicationJune 18, 1934, Serial No. 731,170 claims.' (C1. 12o-1s) This inventionrelates to lead pencils, and particularly to those of the magazine type.

An object of the invention residesin the employment of more simple andpositively acting 5 means for feeding the leads from the magazine thanheretofore provided and for establishing .with more positive assurancetrue alinement of the lead with the conductor tube between the magazineand the tip end of the pencil.

A further important object is to provide a novel magazine assemblyconsisting of a very minimum of co-operable parts which can be readilyinserted into the shell or removed therefrom and whose form andconstruction are otherwise such that the work of assembling the pencilwill be greatly simplified.

A still further object is to provide a magazine of large lead capacityand in which, through the provision of a no-vel form of feeder or leadpusher,

will enable the leads to be successively discharged into a conduit orconductor tube, in which latter a plurality of ordinarily equal lengthleads can be disposed in endwise relationship to each other so that bythe intended functional action of the aforestated pusher or feeder, allof theleads in said conduit will be moved to effect the requiredv feedo-f one thereof from the tip of the pencil and wherein the said pusherorfeeder operates in conjunction with the clutch of the tip to prevent theleads from slipping axially of the conduit.

A further object is directed to the novel form and construction of theparts and the Yco--ordinated relationship of one to the other, wherebyvto secure the magazine assembly operatively applied within the shell ofthe pencil. I Another feature of patentable novelty is directed to theform and design'of a magazine which 'will hold a reasonably large numberof leads Vand Whose overall-length is such that vit -will occupyapproximately'one-third the length of a shell of average length, say onewhich measures about ve and a half` or six inches and whose externaldiameter is between a quarter and a half inch. Other objects andadvantages will appear and be more fully understood as the descriptionproceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a vertical section through thepencil with parts in full lines;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged I scale through a portionof the pencil; Y K

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the pencil;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Figure 2.

In carrying the invention into practice, use is 5 made of a hollow shellor casing I0 of suitable length and diameter, the same having aconventional clutch tip II formed with an axial bore I2 from whichlatter a lead can be fed as use thereof is desired. l0

Within the upper section of the shell is tted a magazine and lead pusherassembly of the construction clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of thedrawing. It includes a plug-like body I3 having an annular flat1edge'I3a on which latter the 15 lower ends of the leads are adapted tofreely rest so that a series of leads can readily move around the coursedefined by said ledge. Secured in the shell is a lead-conducting tube I4of a form and' of such internal diameter to enable leads to pass 20therethrough without any material resistance being offered thereto. Itsupper end passes into a bore I5 in the body I3 so as to hold the latteragainst rotary movement and its lower end opens to the bore I2 of theaforementioned tip II as 25 shown in Figure 1, whereby'one lead afteranother can be fed from the said tip as required.

The magazine and lead pusher assembly further embodies a rotaryshell-like lead holder I6, the same having an annular series of groovesI'I 30 for the accommodation of a like number of leads, so that thelower endsof said leads can rest on the ledge ISa. The overall length ofthe entire magazine and pusher assembly is approximately equal toone-third the length of the shell IIJ, and 35 yas illustrated, the lowerend of the holder I6 has free rotary contact with said ledge. The upperend of the holder is offset laterally at I8 at the upper edge of theshellr ID and same is provided with an annular enlargement I9 which ismilled 40 at 2B to enable same to be securely grasped ybetween thefingers and the holder rotated.

A tube 2| passes through the lead holder I6 so that an interveningannular lead race is formed 45 between the two. Its lower end is fxedlymounted in the body I3 and its opposite end 2Ia comes flush with theupper edge walls of the enlargement I9. Mounted to rotate in the body I3axially of the tube 2| is a feed screw 22, the 50 upper end of which isfitted with an eraser sleeve 23, whereby the screw can be manuallyrotated. The screw is formed with a coarse spiral groove 24 in which thelug 25 of a feed nut or pusher 26 is adapted to travel as the screw isturned. Said 55 nut or pusher is provided with a radial pusher lug 2lwhich is adapted to travel in the longitudinal guide slot 28 in the tube2|. Here, it will be observed that the upper end of the tube 2| isdisposed in the enlargement I9 so that in one possible position of thenut, the lug 21 thereof will be above the adjacent groove I'I in saidholder, thus enabling the lug to be fed against the adjacent end of theparticular lead to be ejected from the magazine and fed through theconduit I 4. A closure sleeve 29 is fixed to and extends about the upperend of the tube 2| and has a ilange 33 which extends over the adjacentends of the grooves Il' as shown in Figure 2, excepting, of course, asingle one of said grooves, namely, the one from which the particularlead is being fed. It follows that when the nut 26 is in the positionshown in Figure 2, the holder I6 can be turned to establish registrationor alinement of a groove I'I with the bore 3| in the body I3 and theupper end of the conduit I4, preparatory to feeding the lead throughsaid conduit.

Carried by the sleeve 29 is a spring dog 32 whose outer end is adaptedto engage with the ratchet teeth 33 formed on the inner walls of theenlargement I9 of the lead holder. As the sleeve 29 is stationary on thetube 2|, it follows that on turning the holder, the dog will yieldinglyengage the said teeth so as to co-act with each thereof and thusconstitute, in part, a means for determining the number of leads in theholder at any time. The teeth 33 are positioned so that there is onethereof for each of the grooves I'I, as shown in Figure 4, and they arealso correlated to the annular indicating markings 34 exteriorly formedon the said shell I0. A pointer 35 on the portion I9 of the holderco-acts with the markings 34 and with the indicating letters E and F onthe shell, so that one may readily determine at a glance the exactnumber of leads in the magazine.

From the foregoing, it follows that means are provided for delivering asingle lead from the magazine and for feeding same through the conduitI4. The conduit I4 always remains full, regardless of whether themagazine is full or empty. The pusher lug 21 serves as a constantabutment for the lead column so that the leads in said column cannot bepushed back or upwardlyin the conduit. This, in combination with anywell known form of friction means at the tip I2, insures a perfectfeeding of the leads at all times. When it is -desired to supply themagazine with leads, the cap 36 is removed from the eraser sleeve 23 andthe holder is successively rotated to enable one lead at a time to beplaced in the holder and the lower ends of the leads brought intoresting engagement with the supporting ledge I3a.

The mechanism is exceedingly simple and a positive end--to-endengagement of the leads can be effected from a point starting at thelea-d holder to a point ending some place in the conduit M. By means ofthe described relationship of the parts and the construction thereof,the magazine and lead pusher assembly can be compactly positioned in apencil shell or casing of average length and the capacity for the leadsWill be quite large.

What is claimed is:

i. A lead magazine and lead pusher assembiy for pencils comprising meanshaving a ledge on which the adjacent ends of an annular series of leadsare adapted to freely rest, the said ledge having a lead dischargepassage, a rotary lead 2. A lead magazine and lead pusher assembly forlead pencils comprising a body having an annular ledge on which theadjacent ends of leads can rest so as to move annularly on the ledge,the body having a passage through which a single one of the leads canpass, a pair of con- Y centrically positioned spaced tubes betwee'-which the leads can be placed in an annular series, the outer one of thetubes having longitudinal spaced-apart grooves in each of which a leadcan be accommodated with its lower end resting upon the ledge asaforementioned, and the said outer tube being mounted for rotation,means for turning the outer tube to establish successive registration ofthe grooves with said passage, and slidably mounted lead pushing meanscontained in the inner tube and having a lug engageable against theopposite end of each lead as the leads are successively registered withthe passage and adapted, during sliding movement in one direction of thepushing means, to push the lead through said passage.

3. A lead magazine and lead pusher assembly for lead pencils comprisinga body having an annular ledge on which the adjacent ends of leads canrest so as to move annularly on the ledge, the body having a passagethrough which a single one of the leads can pass, a pair ofconcentrically positioned spaced tubes between which the leads can beplaced in an annular series, the outer one of the tubes havinglongitudinal spaced-apart grooves in each of which a lead can beaccommodated with its lower end resting upon the ledge as aforestated,and the said outer tube being mounted for rotation, means for turningthe outer tube to establish successive registration of the grooves withsaid passage, slidably mounted lead-pushing means contained in the innertube and having a lug engageable against the opposite end of each leadas the leads are successively registered with the passage and adapted,during sliding movement in one direction of the pushing means, to pushthe lead through said passage, means carried by the inner tube, meanscarried by the outer tube, the latter co-operable with the former todetermine operative registration of a lead with said passage.

4. A lead magazine and lead pusher assembly for lead pencils comprisinga body having an annular ledge on which the adjacent ends of leads canrest so as to move annularly on the ledge, the body having a passagethrough which a single one of the leads can pass, a pair ofconcentrically positioned spaced tubes between which the leads can beplaced in an annular series, the outer one of the tubes havinglongitudinal spaced-apart grooves in each of which a lead can beaccommodated with its lower end resting upon the ledge as aforestated,and the said outer tube being mounted for rotation, means for turningthe outer tube to establish successive registration of the grooves, withsaid passage, slidably mounted lead-pushing means contained in the innertube and having a lug engageable against the opposite end of each leadas the leads are successively registered with the passage and adapted,during sliding movement in one direction of the pushing means, to pushthe lead ,through the said passage, means carried by the inner tube,means carried by the outer tube, the latter co-operable with the formerto determine operative registration of a lead with said passage, thesaid outer tube having a pointer thereon exteriorly thereof, and a shellin which the magazine is mounted, the said shell having markings thereonwith which the pointer is adapted to coincide.

5. A lead pencil comprising a shell having a lead feeding conduitcontained therein, one end of which opens directly to the lead bore ofthe tip of the shell, the opposite end of the conduit being positioned aconsiderable distance inwardly of the opposite end of the shell, and alead magazine contained in that portion of the shell between saidopposite end of the shell and the second mentioned end of the conduit,and including means for alining a lead with the conduit, means forpushing the lead from the magazine and for feeding same through theconduit, the magazine including a xed ledge upon which the lower ends ofleads can freely rest so as to move thereover, an inner stationary tubehaving a laterally opening longitudinal slot, an outer rotary tubebetween which and the inner tube the leads can be placed in an annularseries, the

rotary tube functioning, when rotated a limited distance, to register alead With the conduit, as aforestated, and means contained in the innertube and including a lug extending through said lateral slot and intothe space between both tubes for engaging against a lead to push same asaforementioned.

WILLIAM B. LYNCH. ELMER E. FREY.

